I can relate to Robert Ellis Smith’s definition of privacy

I can relate to Robert Ellis Smith’s definition of privacy

Specifically, the free from intrusion phrase, as he defined privacy as, “The desire by each of us for physical space where we can be free of interruption, intrusion, embarrassment or accountability, and the attempt to control the time and manner of disclosures of personal information about ourselves.” I feel while the first half describes well our physical space desires, it’s the later part of the phrase which I feel is most relevant in today’s world of data gathering.

Maintaining our identities and our autonomy is essential to tranquil living. Data protection, “is commonly defined as he law designed to protect your personal information, which is collected, processed and stored by ‘automated’ means or intended to be part of a filing system, is there to ensure that our information is kept safe, even as technology advances more rapidly than our laws to protect it, which had me thinking even beyond myself. I was reminded of a quote from George Radwanski, “How we deal with this new reality will determine the very type of society we leave to our children.”

As privacy allows us the right to exercise control over our personal information, and data protection the laws designed to protect information, I feel another piece of the puzzle, in a world of innovation and technology, is to self-educate as constant as technology advances.

I have recently become aware of sites such as http://www.humanservices.alberta.ca/InternetSafety/internetsavvy.html, guiding the less savvy, such as me, through education to help us protect ourselves and our children from internet harm by informing ourselves and our children about how to protect ourselves from leaving a trail of sensitive information before we leave an online legacy which can’t be undone.